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Walkers are trampling on my livelihood, says farmer ');  '); A FARMER is asking walkers to be more considerate as they are damaging his crops by straying from footpaths. Simon Beddows, farm manager at Coppid Farming Enterprises in Dunsden Green, appreciates exercise is important to people during the coronavirus lockdown but says it is affecting his livelihood. Some of the footpaths that run through the farm, which is owned by the Phillimore Estate, have increased from 1m to 5m in width. Although this has sometimes been a result of social distancing, some people are simply coming unprepared f...

BBC News Published image copyrightOlly Harrison image captionFarmer Olly Harrison said walkers had strayed far from the paths into one of his fields Crops are "being damaged nationwide" by lockdown walkers avoiding mud, a rural business organisation has said. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said an influx of people walking over planted crops was affecting farmers' businesses. One farmer said there had been a tenfold increase in walkers during lockdown, while another had seen a 5ft (1.5m) path widen to 36ft (11m) across. Walking charity Ramblers said people must "stick to marke...

With exercise restricted in England by lockdown laws, some walkers are inadvertently damaging crops as they eschew public footpaths churned into mud.