HUNTINGDON VALLEY (Pennyslvania) - MEMBERS and officials of a private swimming pool in a predominantly white Philadelphia suburb reacted to a visiting group of minority children by asking them not to return and pulling other kids out of the water, a day camp director said, and the state of Pennsylvania is investigating.

But shortly after they arrived on June 29, she said, some black and Hispanic children reported hearing racial comments.

'A couple of the children ran down saying, 'Miss Wright, Miss Wright, they're up there saying, 'What are those black kids doing here?''' she said.

The gated club is on a leafy hillside in a village that straddles two townships with overwhelmingly white populations. It says it has a diverse, multiethnic membership.

Ms Wright said she went to talk to a group of members at the top of the hill and heard one woman say she would see to it that the group, made of up of children in kindergarten through seventh grade, did not return.

'Some of the members began pulling their children out of the pool and were standing around with their arms folded,' Ms Wright said. 'Only three members left their children in the pool with us.'

Several days later, the club refunded the camp's US$1,950 (S$2840) without explanation, said Ms Wright, who added that some parents are 'weighing their options' on legal action.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission will immediately investigate, chairman Stephen A. Glassman said on Thursday. 'Allegedly, this group was denied the use of a pool based on their race,' Mr Glassman said. 'If the allegations prove to be true, this is illegal discrimination.'

Democratic Senator Arlen Specter issued a statement calling the allegations 'extremely disturbing' and said he was looking into the matter. -- AP