Lily James and Dominic West seen returning to London one day before he was back with wife

Pictures have emerged of Lily James and Dominic West returning to London, one day before he declared his marriage was “strong”.

Actor Dominic West was seen getting close with Lily James as they returned to London together, just one day before he was back by his wife’s side and declared they were very much together.

Photographs have emerged of West, 50, and James, 31, hugging at the Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome on October 12 - after their romantic weekend away.

The following day West and his wife of 10 years Catherine FitzGerald, 49, kissed and posed for media outside of their home in London with a sheet of paper that read: “Our marriage is strong and we’re very much still together.”

Scandalous pictures of West and James cuddling and kissing during a date in the Italian capital caused a sensation after they emerged last Monday.

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Dominic West and co-star Lily James were seen passionately kissing on a busy flight. Picture: Backgrid

A shocked witness on the British Airways flight returning to London, which West and James were passengers on, told The Sun: “I recognised him instantly but wasn’t sure who she was.

“At first, I thought she was his daughter, as I knew he was around 50 and you could tell she was a lot younger.

“Within minutes of the plane leaving, they began kissing and cuddling after both removed their masks.

“They looked like a couple heading for a dirty weekend and they were all over each other. They were French kissing and there was a lot of necking going on.”

West, who found fame in hit series The Wire, and Downton Abbey star James have been filming a BBC adaptation of The Pursuit Of Love.

The day after the cosy lunch ­photos emerged last week, West posed for photos with wife of 10 years Catherine FitzGerald, 49, outside their country mansion as the couple insisted their marriage was as strong as ever.

RELATED: West returns to wife after kissing co-star

Dominic West and wife Catherine FitzGerald told media their marriage was stronger than ever after the pictures emerged. Picture: GlosPics/MEGA/GC Images

A businessman who saw him with James on the flight added: “I didn’t know who she was until I saw the story in the paper about him and her in Rome.

“To be honest, the reason I’m speaking out is because of that cringing statement and photocall he and his wife gave.

“When they were on the plane they behaved very much like a couple. He was whispering passionately in her ear while they kissed.”

The pair were also seen heading back to the airport together after the three-night stay.

Dominic and Lily pictured at the Harper’s Bazaar Women Of The Year Awards in 2018. Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images

James appeared to rest her head on his shoulder as they filled in a COVID-19 declaration form before boarding the flight back to London.

James, whose big screen breakthrough came when she played the role of ­Cinderella in Disney’s 2015 remake, split from former Doctor Who Matt Smith, 37, earlier this year.

West won rave reviews for his role in US TV series The Affair in which his character cheats on his wife with a younger woman.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.