It was set up by the previous government as part of a multimillion-dollar strategy to improve the state's struggling mental health system.

Colin Fryer, who chairs the mental health Carers Network, said shutting down such a vital service was ''an extreme disappointment'' and one which may leave some mentally ill Victorians stranded when they most need help.

''A lot of people have used the service and it is such an important first point of contact. There is no other service like it which runs 24 hours a day,'' he said.

The manager of family services for the Arafemi mental health service, Helen Kane, also attacked the decision to shut down the advice line, claiming it had been done to save money and would leave distressed Victorians without access to out-of-hours advice.

''It was a brilliant creation. There has been no consultation behind the decision to shut it down. The concern is that this is a really good service and no one checked to see how it was working on the ground before deciding to close it.''