Groaning handbrake cables

If the handbrake is pulled on with the button pressed in on my wife's Fabia 100bhp pdi Elegance there is quite a marked 'groaning/rubbing' sort of sound from the cables. I've removed the rear ashtray housing so you can see and feel the inner cables going into the outers. There's a definite marked resistance as if the inner cables need lubricating (which of course, isn't possible).

I'd be grateful for comments as I suspect that the reply from the dealer will be 'They all do it Madam'.