Gaston worked as a farmer and served part-time in the Ulster Defence Regiment.
[3] In December 1977, Gaston's right leg was removed by a bomb planted in his tractor by the Provisional Irish Republican Army.
At the 1992 general election, Gaston contested Ian Paisley's North Antrim seat, taking second place with 18.1% of the votes cast.
[6] In 1996, he was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum, again in North Antrim,[7] and served his final term as Mayor of Ballymoney.
Gaston lost his council seat to Sinn Féin's Daithi McKay in 2005.