THERE were long queues across a garden centre today as hundreds flocked to its grand reopening. 

Laylocks Garden Centre in Cotheridge, near Worcester, marked its opening of a new extension today (Saturday) with live music, free goodies, and children's entertainment. 

Inside the store, there were long queues as hundreds of shoppers waited to buy goodies, try free tasters, and get their faces painted. 

Worcester News: Shoppers were queuing to purchase some new items from the centre. Shoppers were queuing to purchase some new items from the centre. (Image: NQ)Hannah Warr, director of Laylocks Garden Centre, said: "I was actually really worried no one would turn up, so I was very naive in thinking that.

"We had a great turnout, and people looked over the car park to make sure everything was safe.

"We were going to give out a free 100 goodie bags at 11am but had to move it to 10.30am as people were queueing out the door.

"They ran out in 10 minutes—there were hundreds of people, I do not know how many.

"There were 150 just queueing (outside the garden centre before the ribbon cutting), and some people had even arrived at 9am."

Worcester News: Families queuing to get their faces painted. Families queuing to get their faces painted. (Image: NQ)The excitement over the expansion caused traffic near the garden centre as many people flocked to see the opening.

One shopper, Alison Butler, said: "It is madness, cars abandoned on the roadside, people walking in the road."

Laylocks Garden Centre will be closing at 5am today. 

For live updates on the traffic situation near the garden centre, click here.