Happy Mondays Dancer Bez's Friend Arrested For Alleged Taliban Terrorism Recruitment

Bez, the Happy Mondays' dancer and winner of the Celebrity Big Brother television series in 2005, discovered this week one of his friends was arrested for allegedly recruiting British citizens to train in Taliban camps in Afghanistan.

According to Britain's The Sun tabloid, Matthew Newton, who once ran a T-shirt firm with Bez's (real name Mark Berry) son, Arlo, was arrested with four men aged 21 to 67 in a sweep on Monday.

"It's shocking for me and my dad," Arlo told The Sun. "Matt's a top geezer.

"I've known him for two or three years. He got on with my dad and with everyone."

The Sun reports Newton converted to Islam two years ago. It also says his Facebook page shows in clean-shaven with Bez at one point, and later wearing "Muslim garb" and sporting a beard.

Bez's spokesperson told The Sun Newton's arrest has "nothing to do with Bez."

Bez helped set the world record for maracas shaking in 2006 when 406 shakers were used when the Happy Mondays performed "Step On" in Manchester, England.