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In thermally bonded bi-component fibre nonwovens, a significant contribution is made by bond points in defining their mechanical behaviour formed as a result of their manufacture. Bond points are composite regions with a sheath material reinforced by a network of fibres’ cores. These composite regions are connected by bi-component fibres — a discontinuous domain of the material. Microstructural and mechanical characterization of this material was carried out with experimental and numerical modelling techniques. Two numerical modelling strategies were implemented: (i) traditional finite element (FE) and (ii) a new parametric discrete phase FE model to elucidate the mechanical behaviour and underlying mechanisms involved in deformation of these materials. In FE models the studied nonwoven material was treated as an assembly of two regions having distinct microstructure and mechanical properties: fibre …