With exercise restricted in England by lockdown laws, some walkers are inadvertently damaging crops as they eschew public footpaths churned into mud by unprecedented footfall, according to a rural business group. The solution, according to the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), is simple: put on a pair of wellies. “It is perfectly natural, in times such as these, for people to want to enjoy the countryside,” Mark Bridgeman, president of the CLA, said in a statement. “They are genuinely welcome and we encourage people to enjoy the thousands of miles of footpaths available to them. But we need to work together to ensure the public can have an enjoyable time while also protecting farmland, animals and wildlife.” The CLA, which represents 30,000 rural businesses across England and Wales, said that attacks by dogs on livestock have also risen. With the land now very wet, public footpaths have become muddy. “Unfortunately, that …