ST. PETERBURG. Nov 7 (Interfax) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said that whilst law enforcement inspections of businesses are important, their number should be reasonable.

"It is clear that inspections differ, this is why their number should also be reasonable. Unreasonable checks by law enforcement structures and regulatory agencies, let alone unlawful criminal prosecution, are unacceptable," Medvedev said at a meeting with law enforcement officials on Friday.

"Certainly, if these sort of instances have been detected, they should be adequately assessed by senior law enforcement officers," the president said.

"There must be the most careful monitoring of law enforcement practices in the economic sector and decisions should be made, where necessary, and sometimes warnings, very quickly," he said.

"Companies, individuals in the banking sector should be protected, individual property rights should be protected - this should apply to the whole range of issues," the president said.

Medvedev also raised the subject of small businesses and law enforcement control over this sector.

"The role of law enforcement agencies in this sector is not to strangle the very small business but to help it. I have already set out the demands on this matter in a document. These processes should be watched most carefully," the president said.